LAHORE: Punjab’s interim government has ordered a high-level inquiry after mobs torched several churches and vandalized Christian homes on Wednesday, with officials saying more than 100 people were arrested.
The mob made its way through the Christian-majority area on the outskirts of the industrial city of Faisalabad after allegations of desecration of the Holy Quran spread.
“This was a deliberate plan to disrupt peace and a high-level investigation is underway into the desecration of the Holy Quran and the events that followed,” a provincial government spokesman said in a statement.
The spokesman said the police had “thwarted” an attempt to attack minority homes and a “peace committee” had been mobilized to ensure that similar attempts were foiled.
“The frequency and scale of such attacks – which are organized, violent and often uncontrolled – have increased over the past several years,” the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said.
The mob-led assault on Christian families and their homes and sites of worship in #Jaranwala, Faisalabad, following allegations of blasphemy, must be condemned in no uncertain terms. The frequency and scale of such attacks—which are systematic, violent and often uncontainable—
— Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) August 16, 2023
The rights group called for the formation and equipping of special police forces to protect places of worship of religious minorities in line with a 2014 Supreme Court ruling.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar demanded strict action against those responsible for Wednesday’s violence. “I’m worried about the exposure to the scene,” he said.
I am gutted by the visuals coming out of Jaranwala,#Faisalabad. Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities. All law enforcement has been asked to apprehend culprits and bring them to justice. Rest assured that the government of Pakistan stands… https://t.co/GHWUGA1NNq
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) August 16, 2023
Police and rescue officials said at least four churches were gutted, while residents said a dozen church buildings were damaged.
Several thousand police have been sent to secure the area and dozens of people have been detained, Punjab provincial information minister Aamir Mir said in a statement, also condemning the alleged blasphemy.
Yasir Bhatti, a 31-year-old Christian, fled his home in a narrow street from a church vandalized by a mob.
“They broke windows, doors and took out refrigerators, sofas, chairs and other household items and piled them in front of the church to be burned. They also burned the Bible and desecrated it, they were merciless.” He told AFP by phone.
Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where anyone who insults Islam or Islamic figures can face the death penalty.
Pakistani bishop Azad Marshall in the neighboring city of Lahore said the Christian community was “deeply saddened and disturbed” by the incidents.
Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been… pic.twitter.com/xruE83NPXL
— Bishop Azad Marshall (@BishopAzadM) August 16, 2023
“We call on law enforcement agencies for justice and action and immediate intervention to protect justice providers and all citizens and assure us that our lives are precious in our own homeland,” he posted on X. What, formerly known as Twitter.
The United States on Wednesday urged Pakistan to investigate mob attacks on churches and Christian homes that have erupted in the country’s east amid rumors of blasphemy.
“We are deeply concerned that churches and homes were targeted in Pakistan in response to reports of desecration of the Quran,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
He said that while the United States supports freedom of speech, “violence or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of expression.”
“We appeal to the Pakistani authorities to fully investigate these allegations and remain calm,” he said.
